It had been a few days since Artorias and Rudyard had been caught outside of pack lands on their own little adventure. Of course Tamsyn had been upset with the boys for their misbehavior, but thankfully hadn't been too harsh on them. All the same, Artorias had gone out of his way to make sure he didn't toe the line with the rules and stayed on his best behavior. The last thing he wanted to do now was upset his parents any further. So the little blue boy had hung around well within the pack's borders, no longer even venturing near the edges like he had before. Maybe once he felt the watchful eyes of his parents lightening up on him he'd start getting a little more bold again. All he knew was that after the last time they'd gotten caught, he had no intention of sneaking out without his parents again.

Of course, Artorias didn't blame Rudy at all for what happened. His brother was brash and headstrong and wanted so badly to be independent; that's just who he was. They did have some fun while out exploring though. Perhaps when they were older they'd go out adventuring together again! For now though, the boy was lying on the grasses at the top of the falls, just above their family den, gazing out over the wide and amazing world of Boreas as far as his eyes could see. His bright amber eyes roamed from the expansive sea to the east, across the dense forests and vast grasslands to the south, and out toward a far distant wasteland to the west. There was so much to see out there, Artorias quietly pondered if he'd ever get the chance to see it all. Perhaps he'd have to ask Tamsyn to take him out exploring sometime... if she'd still be willing to do so after his and Rudy's last escape attempt.

The cacophony of the cascading falls near him drowned out the silence of the late afternoon, the soothing white noise creating a perfect relaxing background track to leave the wolf alone with his thoughts. Sometimes being alone was a nice change of pace, especially with all the pups his parents seemed to be taking care of now. Between the overly packed den, having to try and get along with his siblings, adopted siblings, and the other pups in the pack, plus all of their lessons—it was a lot to deal with at once! At least here, Artorias could decompress and just think... It was kind of nice.

"Speech" | Thoughts

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Walk | "Talk" | think

Rudy knew it was his fault Art got in trouble.  He regretted his brother being found guilty but, he wasn’t really able to feel bad about the act itself.  He’d felt guilty the rest of that day and even the next morning but as the guilt feeding the memories of the fun part remained.  It had been so amazing out there all by themselves!  How could he really regret that?  Admittedly a part of Rudy wanted to run off and go again, but he wouldn’t.  As much as he was given to impulse there were apparently some lines he could learn not to cross.  Mom’s would surely them go out alone in the future, right?

Rudy decided to follow through with the whole point to their search.  He couldn’t look around the falls but he did spend a great deal of time searching the pack land brush for a good stick.  There was less time to spy on others or beg mom for lessons for two days when he had to find the perfect whacking stick for his brother.  

After finding a good fat stick Rudy lay down with it, putting his back teeth in near the bottom of the stick, chewing off some of the looser bits of bark, and tearing off the extra stems that might poke at the muzzle of the wolf holding it.  Looking over his work Rudy picked it up and went to seek out his brother.  Tail flashing high and proud with the stick in mouth he roamed a while till he spotted his brother above their den.  For once he wasn’t going to try and find a way to surprise his brother, instead of walking straight up to him.  Rudy also decided to hold off the obvious explanation until he spit the stick out of his mouth, “Hey Art, I found this thing when I was looking for ya.”  Rudy figured there was no need to mention how long he’d spent searching for it, “I thought since we didn’t have time to find a mega-special stick in the woods you’d like to use this one for a while?  I think it kinda fits how you prefer it?”

From his lofty perch, Artorias was able to observe all of the other Hallow wolves as they went about their days down on the various tiers of the lands. It also gave him great line of sight when he saw the dappled grey form of his brother coming back to the den holding a... wait... could it be...? Was that a stick? Artorias watched as Rudy came up to him, greeting him with a simple, "Hey Rudy," before listening as his brother launched into an explanation to go with his offering. Artorias eyed the stick with excitement, tail wagging behind him as he hopped to his paws and came over to inspect the weapon. It was practically perfect in every way! Just the right length and thickness, not too bendy or heavy—were those teeth marks on them? Well, Rudy had been carrying the stick, but it looked like he'd gnawed and whittled it down. So this wasn't just a whacking stick... it was a custom whacking stick!

"Oh wow! This is perfect!" declared an enthusiastic Artorias. The black and blue pup took the stick in his mouth and swung it around a couple of times, getting a feel for it in his grasp. Rudy had really gone out of his way to find him exactly what he had been looking for! Artorias set the stick down and went to press the side of his face against his brother's in a fraternal embrace. "Thanks, Rudy, this is great! You didn't have to do this." Still grinning from ear-to-ear, Artorias picked up his makeshift weapon once more and began to swing it about, jumping and spinning as he did to create a swirling strike with the stick. In his mind, he was fighting back the invisible horde of enemies once more, and the prodigy knight was taking up arms against his foes.

When his whirlwind assault came to an end, Artorias landed into a crouched combat stance, peering over his shoulder at Rudyard with shining eyes and a wagging tail, the corners of his lips curling up in a playful smile around the stick. "Ah luff int!" he said, words muffled with his full mouth. Artorias set the stick back down at his side as he lay down in the grasses again. "Hey, um... I don't blame you, y'know. For the sneaking out thing, I mean." He looked at Rudy with a more serious expression as he spoke. "You're my brother, I wanted to go with you. I just thought you should know that, in case you were bringing me sticks because you felt guilty or something."

"Speech" | Thoughts

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Walk | "Talk" | think

Rudy watched his brother assessing the stick and grinned as he saw how Arty seemed to like it.  Humility was a very hard concept for Rudy, and he felt a bit of pride as he watched Art cheerfully beating off mobs of enemies with his club.   As he proudly watched the stick-wielding champion he considered how his brother loved fighting but also wanted others not to be harmed.  Rudy well remembered how much Arty had been frustrated being around Briar but then at the very end, he tried to stick up for her.  Would that be him in battle also? Ready to fight an enemy but then once the fight was over ready to protect said, enemy?  Rudyard would never have defended Briar and was still holding onto the secret of her sneaking out in case he could ever use it against her should the need arise.

His blue brother was such a goody-goody.  Still, the goody-goody was also a good guy and his brother whom he loved.  When Arty lay down and turned to their serious conversation of sneaking off Rudy tilted his head curiously, ears pricked “Course not,” Rudy scoffed, “I brought it to you cause your my brother and I just found it and thought of you.”  It wasn’t that he made a habit of lying to his brother but, somehow it seemed wrong to make a big deal of the present.  It was just a stick after all. “Glad ya like it though!”

Rudy then glanced all the different directions, but he wasn’t looking at the view.  Rudy’s ears pricked high as they could as his gaze swept the area before looking back to Art and speaking softly, “It was fun though, right?  I know we can’t do it again but.  Art, I can’t regret having been there.  It was too fun.”  How old did they have to be to go out there like that again? “I wonder how long we should wait before asking mom to take us out there, or to the beach.  Don’t you wanna go to the beach? I bet lots of neat stuff out there.”

Of course he should have expected Rudy to not feel guilty over them getting in trouble. The monochromatic boy had probably never felt guilt or shame for anything in his life, a trait Artorias found perplexing, but one that was so distinctly Rudyard. He smiled back at his brother, tail wagging in a clear display of his happiness with his gift. It was such a small and silly sentiment, but one he appreciated greatly. He really did love his brother—he loved all of his family. They were sacred to the young pup, and although he was still small, a fire burned in his soul to protect the ones he cared about and defend the innocent. It was part of why he had stood up for Briar when they'd gotten caught in the Weeping Woods. Briar had broken the rules at their own request; she didn't deserve to get caught up in their trouble. Even if he disliked the Fatalis girl, his conscience would have eaten him alive if he hadn't shown some mercy and stood up for her too. After all, she had been an innocent.

Artorias cocked his head to the side curiously when Rudy began scouting out their surrounding, wondering what the boy was up to, then realizing when he spoke of their adventures off on their own. Art also looked around, making sure the coast was clear of any adults or their pets before leaning in with a wide grin. "Yeah, it was so cool! I can't regret getting to explore either!" he agreed in an excited murmur. The glow in his fire-like amber eyes ignited at the prospect of getting to see even more of the world beyond their borders. "I bet if we ask Mama she'll take us. Mom doesn't like to journey as much, but Mama does! And if we ask, she won't have to worry about us running off, so I bet she'll be super happy to take us!" So far, Tamsyn had proven to be the more adventurous and playful of their two mothers. Resin was wise and strong, but she had too many adult responsibilities around the pack.

Rudy's comments about going to the beach made Artorias smirk with a knowing look in his eyes. His brother had always been a schemer, and the blue boy wondered how long he had been cooking up this plan of going on a beach trip. That was something about Rudy that Art admired: his tenacity. When Rudyard wanted something, he went at it will relentless determination. He was always planning some next step or plan. "I really wanna go see the sea!" he agreed. Artorias had always loved the water, even if they weren't supposed to go near it yet without an adult. There was just something so tranquil about flowing water that soothed the pup. "What else have you been planning? I know you don't stop at beach trips, Rud."

"Speech" | Thoughts

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Walk | "Talk" | think

Good.  Even if Art would never dream of disobeying again he at least still acknowledged how great the trip had been, up until getting caught.  Rudy would never ask Art to disobey again, at least not like that.  It really should have been just fine, if they hadn’t been caught.  Oh well, live and learn then live it up all the more.  Art was his best friend so he had to make sure he would always be with him.

“Yah, that’s true.  We should definitely just ask mama, but you know what? Mom is giving me lessons in hunting!” The comment was made with all due pride as he was quick to assume they both knew he’d become great at hunting.  How could anyone ever assume the small pup would do anything but the best?  Not that he’d necessarily succeed in every hunt while training, those didn’t count as fails.  Rudy looked at the long term, and the battle wasn’t over until he won it. “Let’s corner mama and ask her when she’s alone.” It’s not that he didn’t love his sisters also, but he already spent every night in the den and got plenty of time with them on the pack land already.  “Then maybe we could just go with her.  Then when we came back we could tell our sisters all about it! Uh, and bring them gifts.” The last part was an impromptu thought as Art might like the idea better if their sisters still got something from it.

What else had he been scheming? Hmm, he didn’t have much for today on scheming.  Just planning to try and get mom or mama to help him learn more.  Oh, and ask mama to take them to the sea, that wasn’t a scheme really.  Ok, so he had also thought up asking when his sisters weren’t around, and he had just decided to add in gifts for Arty’s sake.  Maybe he did scheme a lot?  If only Arty knew how much last minute some of it was!  There were his future plans though…

“Oh!” A realization suddenly appeared to strike, Rudy standing with his tail wagging.  “It’s gonna take a long time but I realized you and I are touched by fate Art!” That sounded good, Rudy liked how the notion of ‘fate’ sounded and had a feeling his brother would like the touch also.  He moved to stand next to Art and waved a paw in the air as if to emphasize the details, “you and I are special, it's not gloating just a fact.  What other wolf has ever learned how to use a stick as a weapon after all?  That’s so special!  Art, you and I are meant to become the future alphas of the hallows.” Was that scheming?  It was just a life-plan.

“So, most of what I’ve been ‘scheming’ on is hard work.  You and I have a loooot to learn, but we have to,” the last said as he looked at Art’s gaze.  “You and I will be alpha’s, we gotta be able to handle anything.” He let that hang in the air, tried to use his eyes to keep Art locked in him, finally asking, “What do you think Art?”

It piqued his curiosity to know that Rudy was getting hunting lessons from Resin. His heart sank a little; he hadn't spent much quality time with his mother compared to Tamsyn or his siblings. That was wrong, especially if he wanted to learn to be the best fighter he could be and grow to become a distinguished warrior like both his parents were. Artorias made a mental note to seek out Resin soon and see if she'd teach him what she knew about fighting. Or if she was too tired, maybe he could just spend time with his larger parent. It wasn't fair the way he was dividing his time up and he'd have to correct that. Besides, if Rudy was getting special lessons from Mom, then he wanted special lessons too!

Artorias gave a barking laugh when Rudyard suggested cornering Tamsyn and forcing her to agree to take them on a day trip to the beach. Even though their mother was much bigger than them, he had seen how overwhelming the sheer will of determined puppies could be to even the most formidable adults. He thought back to their playdate at the Armada, at how the absolute unit of a dire wolf Sirius was turned into a living trampoline for the horde of small wolves. Puppies could be some of the most persistent and convincing of negotiators, and Rudyard was proving himself to be a champion of that cause. "Yeah! But maybe we should invite the girls too. It might make Mama more likely to say yes if we include everyone," he said, then added, "or we just get everyone a gift, like you said. Shiny things for Bowen! She really likes those! Hmm... maybe some flowers for Gwyn?" As much fun as he had with Rudyard, he didn't want to exclude anyone in his family from joining—even if his family seemed to continue to be growing exponentially and without reason...

Rudy's sudden exposition caught the boy's attention, eyes alert and ears pricked to catch his brother's every word. He had some sort of realization? Huh? They were touched by fate...? What on earth did that even mean? Whatever it is, it's got him all excited... thought Artorias. Fortunately, Rudy continued on to explain his thought process, and Artorias was able to follow his reasoning. Lips pressed together in a fine line as Rudy explained how both of them were special, pointing out his innovation with using weapons to fight. Artorias turned his gaze down to the stick at his paws. He didn't know if he could exactly say he was proficient enough to be called "special" in any way—but he didn't have long to dwell on that thought when Rudy confidently declared they were meant to become alphas of their pack.

Huh...? What? That had certainly gotten Artorias' attention in a hurry. The boy stared quizzically at his brother. Was that how becoming an alpha worked? Were only the most talented of wolves chosen? If so, that would explain why Mom Resin was the leader. But that thought also put a small pit of dread into the blue-furred boy's stomach. Was he really expected to be a leader? He didn't know the first thing about leading, and he certainly didn't have the bravado of Rudyard to bolster himself with. Maybe that was something they would learn in time? Could leadership be taught by someone else, or was it something you had to be born with and develop, like your personality? Artorias had a lot of questions, but as he tried to imagine himself as an alpha, the idea both intrigued and troubled him. What if he wasn't a good leader? Was that what other wolves saw him as? Were they going to look up to him for guidance and answers and orders when he got older?

"Wow..." was all Artorias managed to get out amongst the thoughts buzzing around his head like angry bees. "Do you really think we could be alphas? Like, our friends would want us to be leaders?" He glanced down around the den, trying to see if any of their family were nearby. They were not. "Do you think that's what Mom and Mama are planning for us?" A momentary pause granted him enough clarity to realize something Rudy had said as well. "Wait... you said 'we'll be the alphas'? As in, both of us, at the same time? Is that a thing we can even do?" Artorias didn't pretend to understand the logistics and hierarchy of pack structure; they hadn't learned that lesson yet. How would having two alphas even work?

"Speech" | Thoughts

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Yup, Rudy had been right.  Art was thinking of taking their sisters along.  At least he seemed to be willing to consider getting gifts instead.  Would mom buy into it if he labeled them surprise gifts to make his sisters happy?  Rudy’s mind was already working on how to once more get what he wanted.  If they had to bring the sisters it was fine, but Rudy liked feeling special getting that little extra attention.  Well, either way as long as they got to go.  Admittedly they hadn’t even asked mama yet but, why would she say no?   Shiny things and flowers from the beach huh?  Rudy hadn’t got an up close view of it yet but surely they could find stuff that would work?  “Sure, I bet we can find some good stuff!” Basically, Rudy would take a few moments to look around and find something he could convince others was really neat.  It would work out.  So long as he had a plan and took action it would work out, it always had before.  After all, even if they had been caught off the pack land they had still got to spend some time adventuring before being caught. Art’s reaction to being told of their fate had surprised Rudy.  He inwardly kicked himself for both setting Artorias to worrying over and for not expecting it.  He wasn’t supposed to predict things wrong, then again others were supposed to act as he imagined them to.  This was silly.  Oh well, this was the time to comfort his brother and help him see the future as Rudy imagined it. Rudy didn’t jump in on his brother’s thought processes right away.  Let him work it out in his own mind, might as well let him think up all the questions now so Rudy could shake away all the fears in one sitting versus letting them brew quietly for days. As the questions came Rudy would nod in a sense of hearing them more than an answer to them.  It was a lot of questions to answer but really, a lot of it centered around one concept. “Not right now,” get the first part out quick. [b]“No one would expect us to be alphas now.  You’ve seen other wolves look more amused than impressed with your sticks.  They don’t take me all that seriously right now either.  I’m just a kid with too much energy prone to forget the rules.” Maybe this would help calm Art down some.  “Mom and mama don’t see it right now either, at least I don’t think they do.” The answers were give out in a matter-of-fact sort of way.  It all seemed pretty obvious to him.  For all Rudy could be impulsive, there were times he was quiet, especially when taking up a hiding spot to see who came by to spy on.  The quiet time gave him chances to really look at how things were, and imagine the future as he saw it. The next part brought the passion into his voice, “Art, it’s the future I talk about.  It’s who we will be not who we are.  We both have a cause that drives us right? You want to be a great fighter and protect everyone right? Leaders protect everyone.  You’ll keep on training as you’ve been doing, you’ll keep looking at the family as ones to protect!”  To be honest, up until a moment ago he imagined Art as a leader because he was Rudy’s best friend along with his brother.  These were just words to give his brother the courage, but hey maybe he was on to something?  “As to me? I’m going to learn everything I can learn.  I’m going to be an amazing fighter, hunter, spy, and leader.  I plan to get a bit of knowledge in other areas also.  Mom said you need to focus on one thing at a time, well I plan to manage a bit more than that but some of it will have to wait.” How long would all of this take? For that matter, mom and mama were still leading the pack, and in Rudy’s pup mind he had never considered them actually dying.  “I think we have at least two years to learn everything we need.  That’s plenty of time.  I’ll train with you every day if you want, we can both get stronger that way.”  Yup, if nothing else Rudy could throw out speeches, “Art, if you want to be something enough, you can do it.  All it takes is deciding to do it!”  Rudy didn’t add in perseverance or the work of learning or what could be given up to take time out for training and not because he wanted to avoid those details but he didn’t think of it.  The pup was always so focused on going for what he wanted he’d never considered it work, or thought of others thing to do.  Art had no choice but to become great for Rudy had already determined it would happen. “I know you Art, you’re amazing.  Someday everyone will know it also.  I believe in you.” [/b] "Rudyard"

The more he talked, the more Artorias began to realize that this was not just some far-flung thought that Rudyard had come up with. There was reasoning and coherent connections, there was groundwork and a definitive goal. Rudy had clearly been putting a lot of time and thought into his fantasies—were they fantasies, or were they more like plans at this point?—and was entirely serious about them. Artorias listened to what his brother had to say with close attention, from the reassuring statement that this was all talk about a far distant future, but also about how they could both get to that goal. Yes, it would take a lot of hard work and patience from both of them, but if his parents had been able to do it, surely they could as well, right? Packs didn't just form on their own, and alphas didn't just appear from the sky. Someone had to put in the blood, sweat, and tears to make that dream a reality. So why couldn't he?

Once more, the small blue-hued pup found himself delving into the world of his imagination. He had always pictured himself standing on a battlefield against his opponents, weapon clutched securely in his jaws—but now, what if he was standing at the front of a pack, about to lead his warriors into battle? What if he was overseeing the protection of the lands not just as a soldier, but as the ruler? He had spent so many afternoons staring out across Boreas like a yearning adventurer, but what if those eager amber eyes belonged to a much larger wolf gazing down at his friends and family, making sure they were all cared for and safe? Was it that difficult for him to imagine himself in a leadership role? As it turned it, it wasn't; it was almost as natural as imagining himself as a powerful and formidable knight, just with extra responsibilities and a fancier title. Plus, if Rudy was going to also be in charge, they could help each other out if they needed it. Knowing his family would be at his side to support him brought a wave of relief over the fantasizing pup.

But it turned out Rudy wasn't done yet. His brother continued on to reassure him that he was going to be a great leader, that he believed in him. His words were honeyed, but they were also sincere, and it made the boy cock a half smile. Artorias was so afraid of failing his family or disappointing them—but he couldn't allow his worry to hold him back from being the best damn wolf he could be. It seemed like Rudy wasn't going to give him an alternative to believe in, so when he did finish his little speech, Artorias simply nodded his head and grinned at his grey-toned brother. "Y'know what? You're right, Rudy! We've got so much time to learn how to be the best. We have Mama and Mom, plus Uncle Ulric and Dunkan and Outlaw, and all the others to teach us! We're gonna get all the best parts from them all!" Artorias barked happily and bounced into a playful stance, front paws wide and body arched with his rear in the air, the fluffy tail at the end wagging like crazy.

Artorias had never desired power or fame. They were simply things he had never considered for himself. He wasn't the fantastical type like Rudy was, and his daydreams had never gone far beyond what he would do in a hypothetical fight. He was much more grounded than his brother in that regard. But if he considered it hard enough, he could see it becoming a reality. Fame didn't appeal to him. Power was something he thought he'd like to try, at least as a consequence of his abilities and not as a goal. What Artorias truly enjoyed the thought of was being a role model, someone other wolves and pups could look up to and aspire to be, the way he looked up to Resin and Tamsyn and Sirius. That he could do, and if that brought him in proximity to power and leadership, then he'd accept those terms. But for now, he had a long journey ahead of him, and he still had to take those first steps.

"Thanks for believing in me, Rudy," Artorias said with another bump of his muzzle to the side of his brother's. "But y'know, if you really wanna help prove I'm awesome..." Artorias stepped back over to his stick and assumed a pouncing stance against Rudyard, "...then let's fight! C'mon, let me test how good I am!" Artorias snatched up the stick in his jaws, making sure he had a good grip on it before facing off against Rudy with a low, playful growl. "En gahd, Rhudie!"

"Speech" | Thoughts

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Rudy could see his words were slowly winning Art over to share in his belief.  How could it not?  Rudy knew he was good with words and his brother trusted him.  Rudy had no intention to ever betray that trust.  Sure, his words were grandiose and used to lure his brother in but Rudy had every intent to make good on what he said.    The pup didn’t know a lot about the world but he would work on faith in himself.  He hadn’t learned about how bad consequences could be if he was wrong as everything was still games or following dreams that should be easy enough to make reality. As Art spoke out boldly on his agreeance Rudy opened up into a wide happy grin.  It was good to see his brother turn from fear to excitement.  The fact he was thinking of where they could get help proved he was growing more confident.  There would be loads of training ahead and he imagined it all as fun.  “You bet!  We won’t waste a single wolf we can learn from.  Besides,” inspiration struck again, “the more wolves we learn from the more we know them and that’s important too!” Was it actually important to know the others as a leader?  Maybe?  Arty would like it and Rudy liked getting to learn about wolves either way.  Sometimes Rudy just went for a sneakier approach in learning about others. No time like the present to train!  The grey pup lowered his head, showed his teeth all threateningly at Art’s challenge of a fight,  “I’ll yank that stick right out of your mouth!” The mock threat thrown at his brother.  “Don’t worry Art, when we are done training I’ll be the only one who can beat you at least!”  Art practiced training even more than Rudy so actually his brother might be better but Rudy couldn’t just accept that! Rudy didn’t wait past the statement.  The grey pup was all about trying to act by surprise.  He was already close so he started the fight!  He launched up attempting to put his paws on his larger brother’s shoulders and really did try to yank the stick from his mouth with a clearly intimidating puppy snarl! Rudyard vs Artorias for Puppy Spar! Round 1/3 Age: Under 1 year Size: Large Build: Medium Skills: Beginner Fighter & Beginner Hunter Specialty: N/A "Rudyard"

Artorias growled back louder at Rudy when his brother threatened to disarm him. Ha! I'd like to see you try! No sooner had the thought left his mind, Rudy was charging at him. It was brash and direct, just like the dappled grey pup's personality. Artorias held his ground, paws planted firmly to receive his brother's attack. Art was bigger than Rudy, so when his brother put his paws up on his shoulders, the two were roughly equal height. Wow, Rudy really was trying to take his stick from him! Amber eyes narrowing, Artorias waited for Rudy to grab a hold of his makeshift weapon, and then showed Rudy the fatal mistake he had made. Since Artorias still had all four paws on the ground and Rudy was up on his back legs, it was much easier for him to stay steady as he began to flail his head to and fro, trying to loosen Rudy's grip, and then pushed forward, aiming to use Rudy's own weight against him and topple him backwards. If he was able to get his brother on his back, Art would swing his stick down at Rudy's rear end, attempting to smack his butt with his special customized whacking stick.

"Speech" | Thoughts

Artorias vs Rudyard for Puppy Spar
Round 1/3
Age: Under 1 year
Size: Extra large
Build: Medium
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Beginner Navigator
Specialty: N/A

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
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Much to Rudy’s dismay the tactic work, both in losing his grip on the stick and in falling when Art pushed against him.  However, Rudy was quickly enough to roll that the whack of the stick did hit but not as cleanly as planned, more a tap instead of a hit.  Ok, fine, that hadn’t worked due to the size difference. Rudy took to a new tactic.  Art had the stick in his mouth to stop him from biting, and the stick worked best for distance.  Rudy lunged inward to get in close and bite so that his lower teeth would attach to Art’s jaw, and upper teeth pinch into his brother’s gums.  Maybe he could get Art to reconsider holding his weapon if he got bit on the muzzle.  If nothing else if he kept in close Arty should be at a disadvantage, right? Rudyard vs Artorias for Puppy Spar! Round 2/3 Age: Under 1 year Size: Large Build: Medium Skills: Beginner Fighter & Beginner Hunter Specialty: N/A "Rudyard"

A triumphant grin spread across Artorias' face when his stick made contact with Rudy's rump, but it had been less effective than he'd hoped for. Could it be that his stick was more of a hindrance than a useful weapon? As if to add evidence to that concern, Rudy came for him again. Artorias swung his stick at his brother's head, aiming at where he predicted his brother was going—except Rudy went underneath his swing. Oh no, too late! Rudy had gotten in close, and then he felt his brother's teeth dig into his lower jaw. Artorias let out a surprised yelp, unable to shake Rudy off this time without hurting himself further. He couldn't get Rudy with his weapon, and the stick now only impaired his ability to counter.

With reluctance, Artorias was forced to switch up his approach. Artorias spit the stick out of his mouth, then brought a paw up to swing wildly at Rudy's face, claws aiming for his cheek and muzzle. He was careful to not go for his brother's eyes; he wanted Rudy to get off of him, not maim the boy. He needed to get Rudy off of him and put some space between them so he could counterattack more effectively. Now disarmed, Artorias would have to rely on his teeth and claws, as well as his physical advantage over his slightly smaller brother.

"Speech" | Thoughts

Artorias vs Rudyard for Puppy Spar
Round 2/3
Age: Under 1 year
Size: Extra large
Build: Medium
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Beginner Navigator
Specialty: N/A

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
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Rudy was feeling pretty dang good when he got Art to spit out the stick.  Hah! His threat was brought to life!  Once more Rudy achieved what he had set out to do.  Even when Art’s paw came up and struggled to get him off Rudy already felt he’d won.  He let go of Art’s jaw, but the last thing he planned to do was let Art easily get the distance he wanted.   When Rudy let go the first thing he did was use a hind paw to kick Art’s stick further behind Rudy.   How much did Art want to use the stick as his weapon?  Rudy would attempt to chargeback in, wanting the fight to stay close contact.  Jumping on his brother hadn’t worked so that wasn’t the route to take.  Maybe he could get Art head to head even without the amount or practice his blue brother had over him.  Rudy was used to practicing without a weapon.  Rudy attempted to keep in close, attempting to get a bite to the underside of the neck near the head. Rudyard vs Artorias for Puppy Spar! Round 3/3 Age: Under 1 year Size: Large Build: Medium Skills: Beginner Fighter & Beginner Hunter Specialty: N/A "Rudyard"

Fortunately for him, Artorias was no stranger to fighting with fangs and claws. In fact, his greatest battle ever with the indomitable tortoise had been unarmed, and if he could get the colossal reptile to retreat without his stick, he could beat Rudy without it too! Artorias took a couple quick steps back, but Rudy was already charging in, intent on closing that gap. He went low again, and this time the blue pup had anticipated his repeat performance. Rudy was nothing if not consistent, and that made him predictable. That was going to be his undoing.

As his grey brother came from the underside of his neck, Artorias raised his front paw in defense while reclining his weight backwards and away from Rudy. The maneuver put his paw directly in line of Rudy's oncoming attack, but it also meant Rudy had to either back out of the attack or manage to get a hold of Artorias's leg instead of his neck. If he grabbed his leg, this could allow Artorias to throw his weight forward while twisting and crash into Rudyard while throwing him off balance thanks to the boy's jaws locked around his leg. It was an incredible gambit on Art's end, and could mean the difference between victory and defeat. Nothing would be decisive, but it would set him up for a pinning maneuver if it succeeded and he could get Rudy to the ground with the blitz attack. Right now, both boys were a flurry of movement, and it all came down to who's strategy worked out and who was able to grapple the other into submission first.

"Speech" | Thoughts

Artorias vs Rudyard for Puppy Spar
Round 3/3
Age: Under 1 year
Size: Extra large
Build: Medium
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Beginner Navigator
Specialty: N/A

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
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And the winner is...

Artorias

Rudyard must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: Rudyard: Adjusted: 40.95    35.7    12    21 (39 34 12 21) Total Score:    93.20 Artorias: Adjusted: 67.2    13.65    79    62 (64 13 79 62) Total Score:    210.76

Walk | "Talk" | think

Rudy wasn’t prepared at all for the leg to come in front of his face but his thought had been to bite at Art and with that paw in his path Rudy did indeed sink his deadly puppy teeth into it, mind trying to figure out the logic of this but he couldn’t invest much serious thought into it while in the middle of combat so the answer eluded him until Art’s weight knocked him down.  It had happened so fast Rudy’s mind had to catch up even as he tried to get up but found Art’s heavier weight had him pinned.

Rudy had lost.

The loss was only irritating for a second as he acknowledged it also meant his brother and best friend had won.  It wasn’t so bad if it was Art who had beat him.  Rudy snapped lightly at his brother’s fur, not a fighting move just a reminder of being pinned.  “ok, ok you won.  Lemme up, you’re heavy.” Rudy’s back paws kicked with no real strength to him, that light meant more to remind him to move than trying to actually force his brother off him. “That was a pretty cool trick,” Rudy admitted.  It had to be a cool trick to beat Rudy, right?

Much to the boy's delight, Rudy had done exactly as he'd hoped for, going forward for his leg just as Artorias threw his weight into him. He felt his body make contact with his brother's, and after a momentary tumble, he had ended up on top, pinning Rudyard to the ground with all four paws and his entire puppy weight down on him. A proud, triumphant grin spread across Artorias' face as it dawned on him that he had emerged victorious from the fray. His first real scrap and he'd won! A swelling of pride grew in the pup's chest, but he wouldn't gloat. Artorias was not boastful, and he didn't want to put Rudy down for losing. His brother had fought well and hadn't backed down! Art was proud of Rudy, especially since the stormy grey pup hadn't made it easy on him!

Artorias had been so wrapped up in replaying and analyzing their spar in his head that he had completely forgotten he was all but sitting on top of Rudyard at the moment until his brother snapped and kicked at him. Amber eyes blinked a few times to bring the wolf pup back to reality, and he glanced down at the trapped form of Rudy. "Oh! Oh, right, sorry!" Artorias scrambled to climb off of Rudy, flopping back on his rump on the grass next to his smaller brother. "Thanks! I didn't know if it'd work or not. You did good too! You really put up a good fight, Rudy, thanks for sparring with me!" Artorias smiled happily, earnest in his gratitude for Rudy's willingness to spar. If he was to become as great as he hoped to be, he knew he was going to need all the real world application of fighting he could get his paws on. Plus it had given him a surge of confidence in himself.

"Y'know, I think I'm beginning to see what you mean when you say we're meant to be leaders," he said to Rudy after a moment. Artorias stood up to grab his fallen stick, bringing it back over to sit by Rudy while listening to the calming rush of the falls near them. "If we work real hard, we can be the role models for other wolves, and then we can be leaders like Mom and Mama! We can make the Hallows the greatest pack ever!" He looked over at Rudy with a blaze burning in his amber eyes like a smoldering fire. Artorias still had no idea what it would take to become a leader—let alone a good leader—but if leading was the apex of how he could help, protect, and inspire others, then that was a future he would keep his eyes on the horizon for.

"Speech" | Thoughts

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
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